2K Sports Reverses Course on Planned NBA 2K11 Server Shutdown

Last week 2K Sports made the surprising announcement that the servers for NBA 2K11 would be taken offline in the middle of November. The company immediately took a great deal of PR heat for the decision. Timing wise the move couldn’t have been worse (due to the league lockout and 2K12’s admitted online problems) and there had been no precedent for ending online services only 13 months after release of a game. NBA 2K11 was immensely popular, it is among the highest selling games this calendar year even, and carries with it popular online features that were removed with 2K12.

Now though in the face of heavy criticism 2K has changed their mind and will keep the NBA 2K11 servers active until April 2012. Though it isn’t the full two years plus that other companies typically wait at the very least it provides the expected value that consumers had when the product was purchased. 2K should have anticipated the backlash given the message that shutting down the servers sent but regardless now the proper decision has been made and focus on improving the experience with 2K12 instead can continue.